California BAH Calculator

No. This uses a high-cost CONUS profile for planning. Official BAH rates are set by duty station Military Housing Area (MHA) and published annually by the DoD. For example, the San Diego MHA and Travis AFB MHA have different official rates even though both are in California.

Yes. Codes 1 to 9 map to E-1 through E-9. Codes 10 to 14 map to W-1 through W-5. Codes 15 to 24 map to O-1 through O-10. For instance, code 15 is O-1 and code 24 is O-10.

It depends on the specific location. In San Diego and the Bay Area, BAH may not fully cover rent for a family home, and many E-4 and E-5 families report paying $200 to $500 out of pocket monthly. In inland areas like the Mojave Desert near Edwards AFB, BAH often covers rent with money to spare.

Yes, dramatically. A base in the San Francisco area may have BAH 40% to 60% higher than a base in the Central Valley or desert, even at the same pay grade and dependent status. Travis AFB BAH can exceed Fort Irwin BAH by $1,000 or more per month.

BAH itself is non-taxable at both federal and state levels. However, California has the highest state income tax in the US (up to 13.3%), which reduces your taxable base pay. An E-6 in California might pay $200 to $400 per month more in state taxes than in Texas or Florida, effectively reducing funds available for housing.

The DoD publishes new BAH rates every January based on housing cost surveys from the prior year. Rates can increase or decrease year to year, though the DoD applies a rate protection rule so current residents do not see a decrease mid-tour.

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